I hope everyone had a good Labor Day weekend. Mine was quite fine but today I’m not gonna write about my past weekend. I want to travel back 10 years to another weekend. In light of the avalanche of 9/11 coverage and remembrance we’re about to get this weekend; here is my take on all that went down, but viewed through our local scene. I will tell you why Sept. 14th and 15th were the most important Devolver shows ever.
Things were pretty good in the Devolver world at this point. They were playing a lot of shows, almost every Friday and Saturday for most of the summer. I felt the band was progressing musically while still coming up with new songs. September had a full lineup. There had been a show Labor Day weekend at Michaels’, (formerly the Hillside Tavern, now a flea market/church/diner?!?!?) a place I thought could become a new local monthly stop based on the turnout.
They played a free show the following Sunday at the Codorous bandshell. Weather was nice and the turnout was OK. It started off with an acoustic set and then the usual electric madness that Devolver is known for.
9/9/01 Codorous Bandshell, Hanover, PA
Set 1 : Powderfinger, Loser, ADITL, Waiting to get into Heaven, Dock of the Bay, GDTRFB, Bogey> The Weight
Set 2: Surprise Surprise, Applecart >Glasshawk, Golden Years, Shutdown, Sunday Paper, Laughing Clown, Waiting by the Sand, Super Mario Bros>The Castle>Water Theme> Super Mario Bros, Psycho Killer*>Drumz**>Turnaround, Edge
*w/ Johnny Mondragon, ** w/ Don and Coleman
We got back to Dan and Adrian’s after the show in the early evening to just chill out. That was when we got word that Terry Bown had died in a car accident the night before. He was a part of the Devolver crew before I knew Devolver.
I first met Terry when I had been working at Weis Markets, part time after I graduated from Penn State in 1995. That was the same period I would meet Flick and Andy Miller. I had contact with Terry off and on from the time period of Weis until I met the Devolver crew. One of my fondest and funniest memories is running into him randomly at Nell’s. He was tripping so we went back to my place to chill out. We watched part of the original Planet of the Apes and that blew his mind, what with the heavy metaphors about race relations.
Needless to say, everyone was hurting from the death of someone so young and before we could really process it, Sept. 11th happened. I listened to it transpire on the Howard Stern show that morning and later going out for GD Night at Kclinger’s. People were out but mostly with the same stunned expression on their faces.
Terry’s funeral was Thursday and Devolver already had a show scheduled for that Friday at Lupita’s. Saturday was a private party at Martz’s in New Oxford, so at least everything was local. Adrian suggested I bring in the giant American flag I have hanging in my living room for the Lupita’s show. The band dressed up in Hawaiian t-shirts as a tribute to Terry; they were a favorite of his. They even did a version of Sabrosa by the Beastie Boys. It was one of his favorite tracks.
9/14/01 Lupita’s, Hanover, PA
Set 1 :Bogey>Dehydration>Bubblespeak>Dehydration>L. Clown>Highway 29, Glasshwk> Looking Blind>Everything>Glasshawk, Side, Golden Years, Sabrosa, Soul Shakedown Party
Set 2: Happy Birthday Song, She Drives Me Crazy>Edge>Star Spangled Banner, Black Magic Woman>gypsy Queen, Pedellic Sax, Turnaround>Rowing Song>Turnaround>Drumz, Coming Home>Crosseyed>Shutdown>Funk II
Second set may be incomplete.
If there was ever a time that the family needed to get together it was now. After the week we all had just experienced, we needed a time to gather and forget the world. A time to dance away our blues. Bobbi’s birthday was the Monday after so it was also her birthday show. Back in the day, the band allowed people to help write the setlist for their birthday show. We also raised a healthy amount of cash for a donation to the Red Cross in Terry’s name just by passing the hat.
Saturday was another birthday show, this time Preston’s. Preston being Preston, he had his party at Martz’s in New Oxford. Devolver played there twice and both times the police ended the show. The first party was over Memorial Day Weekend (which will get it’s own blog entry). This time, Groovin’ Seed opened the show and then Devolver did their thing
9/15/01 Martz’s, New Oxford, PA
Edge Reprise, My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama, El Nino, Hurricane, Everything, Glasshawk, Café Latte>Abracadabra>Bubblespeak>Dehydration>Turnaround>Shakedown St>Turnaround
E: The Birthday Song>Funk II
I don’t remember too much about the show other than it was a good time to REALLY let loose. It was a more unrestrained environment than even what Lupita’s offered. And just like any good outdoor music party, someone had brought a tank. I remember Preston requesting the band play the Steve Miller track Abracadabra. The band dedicated it to the birthday boy but he was inside, celebrating his birthday, I guess.
So there you have it. A family is often defined by how they deal with tragedy. The Devolver family dealt with it the only way we knew how to; with good people and good music.
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD Rock and Roll
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